The Route 17 Business crossover at the intersection with Melchers Drive and Washington Street in Stafford County will permanently close on Wednesday, May 18.
Workers will close the crossover to traffic at 9 a.m. A raised concrete median will be installed across the current opening.
Route 17 Business northbound and southbound will be reduced to one lane at the crossover between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18 through Friday, May 20.
Closing the crossover means left turns will no longer be possible from Washington Street onto Route 17 Business northbound, or from Melchers Drive onto Route 17 Business southbound.
Right turns into and from Washington Street and Melchers Drive will continue to be permitted at the intersection.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced the crossover closure on April 8. The decision to close the crossover was made after a review found 53 crashes occurred at the intersection over a 4-year period between 2012 and 2015. Most of the crashes were angle crashes, and 30 people were injured.
Starting Wednesday, May 11, message boards will be stationed on area roads leading to the intersection to warn travelers and residents of the upcoming crossover closure.
Traffic is expected to divert to Route 1 northbound or Route 212 (Chatham Heights Road) and Route 218 (Butler Road). Additional lane capacity that opened at the Falmouth intersection in September 2015 can accommodate the increased number of vehicles.
Motorists are reminded that a 25 mph speed limit is posted on several residential streets in the Falmouth area, including Ingleside Drive, Lendall Lane, Melchers Drive and Washington Street.
